As D.C. faces extreme heat this summer, the most vulnerable in the city, including those experiencing homelessness, are at greater risk.
The first heat alert for the summer of 2025 was activated by Mayor Muriel Bowser on June 18, followed by extreme heat alerts on June 22 through June 26, due to a “feels like” temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter, with alerts continuing into the following week. Much of the eastern half of the U.S. faced “major” or “extreme” risk of heat-related impacts in late June, according to the National Weather Service’s HeatRisk index.
High heat can be especially dangerous for those experiencing homelessness, including Flegette Rippy, a Street Sense vendor who said she struggles to find cool places to stay during the day and night.
“It’s going to be hard with the humidity, sleeping in the heat,” Rippy said.
Rippy has been unable to find a bed at a shelter, partially because D.C.’s low-barrier shelters have been full or nearly full for several months. During the recent extended heat emergency, there were between 19 and 33 emergency shelter beds open each night. But on two days, June 24 and 25, there were no beds available for men, according to the city’s shelter census, and there have been several days when some wards had no beds available. Not all shelters remain open during the day, so people may have to travel to a day center, recreation center, or library, which can all have limited hours and restrictions on the number of belongings people can bring in.
Per the updated guidelines in the 2025 District of Columbia Heat Plan, released by Bowser on June 12, a heat alert is issued by the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) through AlertDC and social media when the heat index forecast, or what the outside temperature feels like, reaches 95°F or higher. An extreme heat alert is issued when the heat index forecast hits 105°F or higher. The city added this second alert category this year to keep up with the rising temperatures across the country, government officials said in an Interagency Council on Homelessness meeting on the plan.
The heat plan lays out the city’s strategy to provide resources during heat emergencies, including operating cooling centers, emergency shelters, day centers, pools, and spray parks, and outlines health precautions that emphasize drinking water and finding ways to cool down.
For people experiencing homelessness, the city’s year-round low-barrier shelters remain open, though capacity is limited. New York Avenue Men’s Shelter, 801 East Men’s Shelter, Emery Men’s Shelter, Adams Place Men’s Shelter, Pat Handy Women’s Shelter, Harriet Tubman Women’s Shelter, and Living Life Alternatively LGBTQ+ Shelter are open 24 hours a day. Zoe’s Youth Drop-In Center is also available for individuals aged 18 to 24 experiencing homelessness, 24 hours a day. Another women’s shelter, St. Josephine Bakhita, is open every night from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and men can also go to the Community for Creative Non-Violence shelter, though the facility is experiencing cooling problems.
Anyone seeking transportation to a shelter can call the D.C. shelter hotline at 202-399-7093 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., though transportation isn’t always available. The citywide call center via 311 is accessible anytime, day or night.
During the day, people can go to cooling centers, including day centers, recreation and community centers, and other city services to stay cool. As in past years, the options for places to cool down on Sundays are severely limited. Day centers and recreation centers are largely closed on the weekend. While libraries can also offer a place to cool down, many, including Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, are closed on weekend evenings and Sunday mornings. Some cooling centers, including libraries, also have a two-bag limit, according to the plan.
For people experiencing homelessness, the Downtown Day Services Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with extended hours during extreme heat alerts, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Adams Place Day Center and 801 East Day Center, which is only for men, are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bethany Day Center, which is only for women, is open slightly earlier, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry to these day centers operates on a first-come, first-served basis with limited space.
Another option for cooling down is the recreation and community centers around the city. Many of them are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday but are closed part of Saturday and all of Sunday. Senior wellness centers cater to community members ages 60 and above, including Bernice Fonteneau, Hattie Holmes, Model Cities, Hayes Senior, Washington, and Congress Heights. For more information about senior centers, seniors can call the Department of Aging and Community Living at 202-724-5626 during regular business hours.
Spray parks across D.C. operate daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Indoor pools remain available year-round, with a full list of locations and hours available. Outdoor pools operate six days a week on individual schedules.
But not all these options are accessible to everyone: Rippy said swimming pools are not helpful for her because she does not know how to swim. A day center, meanwhile, could keep her cool, but it means losing out on a day of working. People experiencing homelessness outside may also be hesitant to leave their tent or other possessions to travel to a cooling center, for fear of things being stolen or thrown away by the city. D.C. has postponed all encampment closures scheduled since June 18, when the first heat alert was issued.
The D.C. government contracts multiple agencies to provide outreach services that include routine safety checks and distributing essential items such as food, water, and clothing, especially for people living outside. But Cynthia Herrion, a Street Sense vendor, said there needs to be greater efforts to distribute water, especially for the elderly in the city.
Eric Glover, also a vendor with Street Sense, said he wishes D.C. had more water stands to show people they matter and are cared for, adding that some “can’t run away from the heat.”
“It’s kind of weird now [with global warming], it’s not the same like it used to be. The weather does what it wants to,” Glover said.
These extreme temperature are not only affecting people in D.C. Cities across the United States face an increase in extremely hot summer days due to climate change, according to a Climate Central study. The levels of CO2 in the atmosphere surged in 2024, leading to a warmer planet and more frequent heat extremes. People of color and those living below the poverty line are disproportionately exposed to more intense heat in heat islands in U.S. cities, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
“It’s hot out there,” Glover said. “Some people don’t have the means or the money to get what they need to stay safe and stay hydrated.”
Staying safe in the heat
D.C. residents can sign up with AlertDC to receive text messages and email updates on heat emergencies.
During extreme heat, residents should be on the lookout for signs of heat cramps, exhaustion, and stroke, according to HSEMA. If someone is experiencing cramps, they should cool down, drink water or electrolytes, and stretch the affected area.
Heat exhaustion is more severe. Look out for ashen skin, headaches, nausea, dizziness, fast or weak pulse, cramps, and chills. Someone suffering from heat exhaustion should rest in the shade or inside, drink water, and remove extra clothing.
Heat stroke is the life-threatening result of ignoring heat exhaustion. It causes high body temperature, red skin, loss of consciousness, fast breathing, confusion, vomiting, and seizures. If someone may be experiencing heat stroke, call 911 immediately and apply a cold compress. Do not drink water while experiencing heat stroke.
Editor’s Note: Flegette Rippy, Cynthia Herrion, and Eric Glover are all Street Sense vendors. Street Sense’s newsroom maintains editorial independence and functions separately from the vendor program.
This article originally appeared in Street Sense’s July 2, 2025 edition.
